Conquering it all: Balancing Motherhood and Work

Conquering it all: Balancing Motherhood and Work

As a working mother, it’s no small task to create a life that balances all of your many responsibilities. And doing so without being constantly tired and feeling as though you’re always in survival mode is an even greater challenge.

If you’re struggling in this area, you’re not alone! Read on for some tips that have helped me and many other working moms achieve a greater sense of balance.

1) Organization is Key

A “to-do” list is absolutely essential to avoid becoming overwhelmed and be able to keep on top of everything. It can be helpful to break weekly tasks into categories such as “home”, “work”, and “fun”. Crossing completed tasks off as you go along will also help you to visualize how much you’ve actually accomplished.

2) Delegate

When your kids are still too small to help around the house, make arrangements with your spouse about who will be responsible for what tasks. Not having to be responsible for everything in the house will be a huge relief.

Once your kids are old enough, give them some responsibilities of their own. Not only will having your kids do simple daily chores help you a great deal, it will also teach them the importance of contributing to the household.

3) Simplify

Reducing the amount of outside activities and commitments your family has will be beneficial to everyone, making more room in your schedule to spend quality time together. Be selective and use your calendar as a guide to ensure you’re schedule doesn’t become too filled up.

As women, we tend to cringe at the thought of saying “no” but it’s something we need to learn to do without feeling guilty. So, instead of trying to attend two birthday parties in one day, pick one to go to and be ok with it.

4) Exercise

While it may not be so easy to squeeze in, making the effort to get regular exercise is one of the best things you can do for yourself. Not only will exercise keep you healthy, it will significantly help you to better manage stress.

Think outside the box to fit in time for exercise. Squeeze in a run early in the morning, go for a walk at lunch, or grab a class at the gym on the way home from work.

5) Lower Your Expectations

The reality is that some things will have to give and, if you can convince yourself that not everything has to be done perfectly, you’ll be much better off. This may mean that your home won’t be in tip-top shape most of the time or that you won’t be able to cook a homemade dinner every night.

If you can get extra help, such as a cleaning service, great! If not, choose one area that’s especially important to you, like staying on top of the laundry, and let the rest slide a bit.

6) Take Advantage of Technology

As much as we try to separate work from home, there will always be times when we’ll need to tend to work outside of the office and technology makes it convenient to do so. Don’t be afraid to bring your laptop to soccer practice or dance class so you can multi-task when necessary.

7) Don’t Compare Yourself to Others

As all families have different support systems, schedules, responsibilities and priorities, it’s a waste of time and energy to compare yourself to anyone else. And, yes, this means it’s completely acceptable to buy cupcakes for the bake sale if you can’t manage to bake from scratch!

Once you start incorporating these tips consistently, you’ll find yourself much better equipped to balance everything, allowing you to experience greater joy at work and home!

About Dr. Pamela Snook

Dr. Snook is board certified and a fellow of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Dr. Snook has been a practicing physician for over 7 years and has garnered a special interest in high-risk obstetrics, infertility and minimally invasive gynecologic surgery. You can follow Dr. Snook on her Google+ Page